Powder Mage: The Autumn Republic Part 8

CHAPTER.

8.

It was around seven o'clock in the morning, the tall gra.s.s still bathed in dew, when Adamat, Oldrich, and their fifteen soldiers trekked into the Wings of Adom mercenary camp.

The mercenaries were camped around a town called Billis.h.i.+re, not more than thirty miles from the edge of the Black Tar Forest. Their standard of a saint's halo with gold wings on a red backdrop waved from the steeple of the town's only church, and the entire camp had been fortified by a hastily built palisade wall and a ditch six feet deep.

Adamat forced himself to put one foot in front of the other, exhaustion weighing him down as the night retreated. He went straight for the first sentry he saw and came up short, letting the man eye him suspiciously for several moments before speaking.

"Inspector Adamat here to see Brigadier Abrax," he said.

The sentry was a middle-aged man with a fixed bayonet. His red-and-white uniform was clean and pressed, and the gold trim glittered in the early light.

"I've no orders regarding you," the sentry said. He eyed the small troop of soldiers and their trail through the gra.s.s that led off into the distance as if not quite sure what to make of them.

"I'm here on behalf of Field Marshal Tamas."

The sentry's skepticism deepened. "The field marshal is dead."

"Is he now?" Adamat asked, giving the man his very best deadpan expression of annoyance. He imagined that it looked like a tired squint. "We've walked all night and I have urgent news for the brigadier. I have a letter of introduction from Colonel Etan of the Twelfth Grenadiers of the Adran army."

The sentry regarded Adamat another moment before looking over Oldrich and his men. The soldiers had shed their grenadier disguises but kept the rifles, and despite not having slept for twenty-four hours, they looked sharp enough to play the part.

"I better escort you in, then," the sentry said.

For the second time in as many days, Adamat was led into the heart of a military camp. They were handed off to another sentry, and then to a major's adjutant-a young woman with blond hair and an easy smile-who took them to the church that Adamat had spotted earlier in the center of the town.

The camp was just beginning to stir, cookpots going over the fires and camp laundresses finis.h.i.+ng their night's work. The stillness gradually gave way to the bustle of camp life as the men crawled from their beds.

Adamat caught the sleeve of the adjutant just before they reached the church. "I'm the only one who needs to see the brigadier," he said. "Is there any chance you could show some hospitality to my escort?"

The adjutant gave a quick nod and beckoned to Oldrich. "Take your men over to the Willow Inn, just past that house there. It serves as the officers' mess in the evenings, but they'll be happy to give you breakfast. Tell them that Brigadier Abrax will cover the tab."

"My thanks," Adamat said once the soldiers had gone off in search of the inn.

"Of course," the adjutant said. "We show the same hospitality our brothers-in-arms have shown us. And Field Marshal Tamas has been good to us."

Adamat wondered how, exactly, Tamas had been paying the Wings of Adom. The newspapers had whispered of bankruptcy in the capital for months.

Inside the church, Adamat was shown to one of the pews, and the adjutant disappeared. He sat quietly with his hands in his lap, examining the stained-gla.s.s windows behind the pulpit. The largest window depicted Kresimir floating high above South Pike Mountain, his arms spread over the whole of the Nine. His brothers and sisters gathered at his feet, helping him in the formation of the Nine Nations. Adamat wondered how being at war with Kresimir himself would change the Kresim religion in Adro.

"Inspector?"

The voice brought Adamat out of an uneasy sleep, and he realized he'd been leaning his head on the pew in front of him. He rubbed vigorously at his forehead to remove the red line it likely caused and got to his feet. "Yes?"

"The brigadier has just begun her breakfast. She's asked you to join her."

The idea of breakfast nearly made Adamat faint. He'd been so incredibly sore and sleep-deprived all night that he hadn't thought of food, but the very mention of it made his stomach growl as loud as a cave lion.

He was taken across the street to what would have probably been the priest's house, a two-story building with a brick facade and green shutters, and he was shown into the dining room.

Adamat was surprised to see a familiar face sitting at the head of the table: Lady Winceslav, the owner of the Wings of Adom. She wore the white uniform with gold sash of a Wings brigadier-a formality, if Adamat were to guess. She didn't have experience of command.

Brigadier Abrax sat at the foot of the table, also wearing white and gold. She stood when Adamat entered. "Inspector." She regarded him blandly, her stern face unreadable.

"Brigadier," Adamat said, shaking her hand. "And my lady, I didn't realize you were here." This could complicate things. Abrax had a reputation for severity, but Adamat still hoped to cajole her into helping him. Lady Winceslav would stand for no such cajoling.

"Inspector, I'm told that you have word of Tamas." Winceslav raised a cup of tea to her lips.

Adamat swallowed, noting that he had not been asked to sit. "I'm sorry, my lady, but I do not."

Winceslav's face fell. "The adjutant said that you had implied as much."

"I didn't mean to mislead," Adamat said. "I simply said I was here on behalf of Field Marshal Tamas."

"I see." Another sip of tea. Still no invitation to sit. "And what orders has the late field marshal given that you still feel pressed to follow through?"

Adamat filed through his memory, looking for an order, whether spoken or written, that Tamas had given before his disappearance into Kez. "Well, none, my lady."

Winceslav gave a slight sigh. Abrax narrowed her eyes at him. Both remained silent.

"My lady, I..."

"The last time we met," Winceslav said, "you were investigating me for treachery. I understand you were following orders, but it doesn't leave us on the best of terms. I hope you have something good to say."

Lady Winceslav wouldn't be fooled by any stories that Adamat could spin, and he likely wasn't going to appeal to her patriotism-she was already doing what she could for her country. What else would work?

Adamat decided on an appeal to her pragmatism. "I arrived in the Adran camp yesterday morning with Privileged Borbador and a squad of Tamas's Riflejacks with the intent of arresting General Ket on charges of war profiteering and releasing Taniel Two-shot from imprisonment."

"Two-shot disappeared weeks ago," Abrax said. "Surely you'd been informed." She said nothing about the charges against Ket. She didn't even raise her eyebrow.

"We knew he was accused of murdering several of Ket's men in self-defense. Nothing after that. Until yesterday, of course. General Hilanska filled us in on the schism in the army, and Taniel's capture and death at the hands of the Kez." Adamat had, not for the first time, the uneasy feeling that the lack of news in the capital was not accidental. It was something he'd have to consider more in the future.

Winceslav's teacup clinked onto her plate. "Did you say Privileged Borbador?"

"Yes, my lady."

"Where is he now?"

"We were separated just before leaving the Adran army." No need to tell her the specifics about that. It would only complicate matters.

"Two-shot isn't dead," Abrax said.

"Oh?"

"At least," Abrax continued, "no one's seen the body. Before the... event... between Kresimir and Mihali, Taniel was seen carving his way through the Kez army with that savage sorceress of his. My Privileged told me that there was some very interesting sorcery going on."

Bo would certainly be delighted by that news. But how to get it to him? As far as he knew, the Privileged was in the Kez camp right now-or had been captured and killed by Hilanska. Adamat tried to bring his thoughts back on track. This wasn't about Two-shot anymore.

"That's all very interesting," Winceslav said. She took a bite of a biscuit and chewed and swallowed before going on. "But that doesn't tell us what you're here for."

Adamat's mouth watered. "My lady, I saw Hilanska's battle plans when I met with him. I have reason to believe he will attack Ket within the next couple of days. And I don't think he has any intention of trying to resolve the conflict diplomatically. If the two of them fight, the Kez will only have to sit back and wait until they've destroyed each other and this whole campaign will be in ruins."

"And you have a solution to that?" Abrax asked.

"Yes."

"Well?"

"I want you to draft all three of Ket's brigades into the Wings of Adom mercenary company."

Abrax barked out a laugh. "Absurd."

Adamat put his hands on the table. "It would end this schism and save the lives of tens of thousands of men."

"It's ridiculous. The logistics would be impossible," Abrax said.

"Not impossible. Just inconvenient."

"And," Abrax added, "Ket will have to agree."

"She will. I know exactly what she wants."

Abrax opened her mouth, but Winceslav's raised hand kept her silent.

"Inspector," Winceslav said. There was a note of interest in her voice. "Please sit down and have breakfast with us. I'm interested in hearing more."

CHAPTER.

9.

Taniel climbed the mountainside, finding a spot several hundred feet above the camp, and settled in to watch the sleeping soldiers until morning.

It was still dark, not long after he'd left the camp, when one of the soldiers climbed from his bedroll and stumbled into the bushes. He returned a minute later and his sudden shouting told Taniel that he had discovered the artwork Taniel had made out of the squad's air rifles. The rest of the infantry were up in seconds.

They were in a panic. Even from this distance Taniel could hear their hoa.r.s.e arguments, the curses, and then a call of dismay when they found the first unconscious sentry.

It took them another fifteen minutes before a figure-probably their sergeant-made his way to the top of the waterfall and found the second sentry. They carried her down to the group and then huddled in conference, their backs to the cliffside in a defensive perimeter despite their lack of weapons.

The eastern sky was just getting light when they broke camp. Tired, their fright apparent from their body language, they made their way cautiously back down the valley. Taniel waited until he could continue his climb without the risk of being spotted, and then started the long journey back to Ka-poel.

He ducked inside the cave two hours later. His legs ached from the climb and his body sagged with exhaustion. Three times he had lost his footing, nearly falling down the steep side of the valley. His fingers were bleeding from the climb and his trousers and s.h.i.+rt resembled a beggar's filthy rags.

His heart leapt into his throat at the sight of Ka-poel. She was curled up in one corner of the cave, his jacket draped over her, using her hands as a pillow. Taniel skirted the facsimile of Kresimir and knelt beside her.

"Pole," he said, gently touching her shoulder.

Something pressed against his throat. He inhaled sharply and looked down his nose at the long needle clutched in Ka-poel's hand.

"It's me, Pole."

One green eye regarded him for a moment and then the needle was withdrawn. She sat up, shaking the sleep from her head.

"Kresimir," Taniel said urgently. "What has happened with Kresimir?"

She c.o.c.ked an eyebrow at him for a moment and then her face lit up. She pointed at the doll of Kresimir, which was bound in the center of the cave. She walked her fingers through the air and then chopped the other hand viciously.

Taniel snorted. "He's not going anywhere?"

Ka-poel nodded, a victorious smile on her lips.

"How?"

She tapped the side of her head, then pointed at the doll again.

For the first time, Taniel noticed the symbols written in the dust around the doll: a series of vague lines pointing away from Kresimir. They made little sense to him. "What do those mean?"

She made a fist and pointed.

"I don't-" He stopped and frowned. Then he saw it. They weren't symbols, but fingers. Kresimir lay in the palm of a hand-her hand, if Taniel wasn't mistaken. "He's in the palm of your hand. You don't have to be awake to keep him under control?"

A nod.

"How the pit did you figure that out?"

Ka-poel rolled her eyes as if looking into one corner of the cave and made a vague gesture.

"What's that supposed to mean?"